Sake isn't just sushi's sidekick

One of the best things about this job is the opportunity to educate myself (and you, of course) at the Register's expense. Every once in awhile I will choose a topic about which I know absolutely bupkis and pick an expert to lead me through it (please insert your joke about my knowing bupkis about many things here).

Recently a friend asked me about sake, and I quickly proved I knew little more about it than he did. I've been drinking the stuff for years without paying it much heed, but I've noticed that it has been subjected to increased discernment in the past few years. I've been to enough cold sake tastings recently to see the Japanese writing on the wall: This lowly sushi accompaniment has acquired some cachet in these parts.

Most people know that sake is made from rice. It has been around for a long time; it is mentioned in the Kojiki, considered the earliest recorded history of Japan, written around 712.

Some refer to sake mistakenly as "rice wine," but it's made somewhat like beer: the starch in the rice must be turned into sugar before fermentation can occur (with grapes, the sugar is already present). Sake is stronger than beer or wine: the finished product can contain as much as 20 percent alcohol by volume.

Mike Passage, a sake expert at Total Wine & More's Tustin store, led me through the fascinating world of sake.

He started with the raw material. Shuzo kotekimai is the kind of rice used for sake. It is larger, stronger and contains less protein than the rice customarily eaten in Japan. "They mill the rice and wash it," Passage said. "The finer the milling, the finer the sake and the better the complexities become." (Milling and washing get rid of the husk and any impurities on the surface of the rice.)

After washing, the rice is allowed to dry and absorb some moisture out of the air, a daylong process. It is then steamed, and mold is sprinkled in. "That mold goes to work with the starches to add to the flavor profile. It's crazy good," Passage said.

Lower-grade sakes are made at higher temperatures, about 86 degrees, Passage said. Better-quality sake is made at lower temperatures, as low as 45. The lower the temperature, the longer it takes – up to a week. "That improves the flavor and complexity," Passage said.

After the brewing process is complete, the sake is filtered and sometimes water is added. "It can get very strong, up to 40 percent alcohol, so often they have to bring that down," Passage said.

At that point, it's ready to drink. "Most sake is not designed to age much," Passage said. "They're supposed to be consumed fairly quickly."

Good sake matures in six to nine months. Passage estimates it will keep its flavor for up to two years if stored properly in a cool place.

In his years with Total Wine & More, Passage has noticed a seasonal pattern to sake sales. "It really is more of a spring and fall beverage. I would bet it's in line with people going out to eat more often and discovering it."

Nevertheless, it has never been a huge seller. "Out of 56 categories in our store, it's about number 44," Passage said.

If your sake is served hot with your meal, that means it's not high quality, Passage said. "Chilled sakes are becoming more popular because at that temperature you can detect many more flavor subtleties."

There are two basic grades of sake. Futsu-shu, by far the most common, is comparable to table wine. Tokutei meisho-shu is premium sake: The rice is more highly polished, and special yeasts have been added in some cases.

Here's the good news about sake: A good 750-ml bottle shouldn't cost you more than $15 to $20. And yes, at that price I noticed things I never dreamed I'd taste in sake: lychee, floral hints, apricot and coconut.

"It's a wonderful sipping drink if you give it a chance," Passage said. After sampling some of his best premium sakes, it was hard not to agree.